James Harvey Hammons, of St. Helena Island, South Carolina (and formerly of Charleston, West Virginia) died on August 17, 2015, at the age of 83, after a long illness. His wife of 53 years, Norma DeMary Hammons, was at his side.
Harvey was born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 2, 1932 to Marion F. and Jimmie Lou Hammons. He graduated as valedictorian of Jonesboro High School at the age of 16. He went on to travel the world with the United States Navy where friends encouraged him to go to college after his service. Harvey attended the George Institute of Technology and graduated magna cum laude with a BS degree in chemical engineering. He moved to Charleston, West Virginia to take a job with Union Carbide Corporation where he worked for more than 30 years, later serving as a consultant with John Brown Engineering. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from West Virginia University.
In Charleston, he met and married Norma Jean DeMary with whom he raised two children, Anne Michele Hammons Aunins and James H. Hammons, Jr. He was a member of Christ Church United Methodist.
Harvey had wide ranging interests from opera to gardening, astronomy, bird watching, singing, wine making, following the stock market, cheering for Georgia Tech's and West Virginia's sports teams, tennis, croquet and waging battle against woodpeckers. He was a great dancer. He approached life with a delightfully wry and sharp sense of humor. Harvey made friends easily and was a devoted husband and father and a true southern gentleman.
He is survived by his wife, Norma of St. Helena Island, South Carolina; his son, Jim of Cambridge, Massachusetts; his daughter, Anne and her husband, John G. Aunins and their three children, Thomas, Benjamin and Emily of Newton, Massachusetts; his sister, Doris Powell of Columbus, Georgia; his brother and sister-in-law, John and Kathryn DeMary of Shinnston, West Virginia; and four nephews and one niece.
The family would like to thank the volunteers and staff of Friends of Caroline Hospice, the Alzheimer's Association and NHC Bluffton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Friends of Caroline Hospice, 1110 13th Street, Port Royal, SC 29935 or the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org).
A celebration of life will be held at the Dataw Island Club, St. Helena Island, South Carolina, at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 30, 2015. A Memorial Mass will also be said at St. Ann's Catholic Church, Shinnston, West Virginia, on September 25, 2015. Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family.